HC favours cutting 700 trees

Widening of roads: Bench favours BMP decision
Deccan Herald

The Karnataka High Court on Monday observed that traffic congestion tops the problems faced by the Bangalore city and there is a need to widen roads to meet the growing number of vehicles with convergence of people from all parts of the country.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi and Justice S Abdul Nazeer made the observation while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bangalore-based Environmental Support Group questioning Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s decision to cut over 700 trees for widening various roads.

Stating that for once the authorities concerned are doing some thing on their own to solve a problem faced by the public, the bench said that the public interest litigations should not be used to obstruct the developmental works taken up in the larger public interest.

The bench also noticed that the 700 trees, identified by the BMP, were not situated at one place but were scattered all over the city and hence cutting of these trees might not result in ecological imbalance. Instead it would ease traffic congestion. The bench also indicated that it if necessary, it would direct the authorities to plant a sapling while cutting a tree.

However, when the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the trees were being cut without following the procedures, the bench ordered issue of notice to the BMP and other local authorities.